Sticker art by the Bald Man

Spotted on Third Street near Avenue A. Heh.

For lease signs removed at former Chocolate by the Bald Man space

Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man closed last July on Second Avenue and Ninth Street.

Anyway! The "for lease" sign that was in the window has been removed...



...and perhaps some work is being done on the interior...



A prime chunk of EV property...any chance that this might become something that the neighborhood wants or needs...?

Not to kick a Bald Man when he's down, but...

Epic takedown in The Villager this week... Been awhile since we've read an article and yelled yes...YES...YES!!!

Here's some of what Dottie Wilson had to write:

Though I never once dined at the famous “Chocolate by the Bald Man” corporation, this place gave me indigestion, headaches even. While nearby mom-and-pop establishments struggled to stay afloat, Max Brenner was constantly packed, mostly with tourists. These people would come all the way to the East Village — just to eat at a chain restaurant. I didn’t get it.

And with childhood diabetes on the rise, as well as obesity, I thought “society” was supposed to be eating more sensibly. But not at this joint. Struggling with menus the size of a hefty coffee-table book, its carefree patrons were devotees of a restaurant defined by indulgence, i.e., dessert for breakfast, lunch and dinner and drinks. In this land of “sugar on fat, on top of sugar on fat” (read “The End of Overeating” by David Al Kessler), this was an altogether obscene environment.

The restaurant’s outdoor tables, usually loaded with out-of-towners, took up an unusually large portion of sidewalk, and this annoying protrusion provoked many a resident on his or her way to and from the Astor Place or Eighth St. subways. On Friday and Saturday nights, human gridlock was the norm.

Consequently, I guess, a crazy person from a nearby apartment building started to get sick and tired of the music from the place’s outdoor speakers. He hated getting woken up every morning and night by the loud, clanking metal chains and padlocks that were used to prevent the theft of their ugly tables and chairs. Employees from the restaurant who took their breaks at the entrance of his building — smoking and laughing it up till all hours, and accidentally buzzing his apartment by leaning on the intercom buttons — drove him nuts.

Previously.

Dirt candy

As we've pointed out, seemingly everything was tossed out after Max Brenner/Chocolate by the Bald Man abruptly closed last week.

Meanwhile, EV Grieve reader Donald Stahl passed along this photo he took last Friday outside the former Bald Man's home...



Not even the gummi bears or marshmallows were spared.

Posts that I meant to post Monday but forgot to post: The Bald Man is really gone

Last Wednesday, Max Brenner/Chocolate by the Bald Man closed. On Thursday, Jeremiah noted that the Second Avenue chocolatetorium was dechocolating the place.

While walking by on Saturday, I saw that even the mattresses designed for people to sleep off one too many choctails were discarded...

The Bald Man sings

Whoa. Gothamist is reporting that Max Brenner/Chocolate by the Fat, Bald Guy has closed on Second Avenue and Ninth Street. Hmm...in January, the Chocolate Bar closed on Seventh Street.

Meanwhile, let's start the pool on what takes over that prime Bald Man space. I'm going with a Chase bank!

P.S.
If you want some sidewalk cafe stuff, then now is your chance. The shop is closed...and things look rather abandoned outside.